Three cheers for the Princess of Orange!
“How is it possible that Amalia is suddenly twenty? I feel like she just turned eighteen yesterday!”, the Glamial editorial staff said this morning. But it is true: the Princess of Orange has officially left her teenage years behind her today. A milestone that is celebrated with a set of ‘new’ portraits of the princess.
Adult princess
On December 7, 2003, little Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria was born. As the eldest daughter of then Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima, she was immediately second in line to the throne with her birth – and Amalia therefore grew up in the spotlight. Sisters Alexia and Ariane followed, but none of them have a burden as big on their shoulders as Amalia.
That realization was present from a very young age. For example, she told Claudia de Breij for the book for her eighteenth birthday about the day of her father’s inauguration: “It was like a slap in the face. All those people were staring at me like I had a goldfish on my head.” But instead of cowering away in fear, the very young princess became even more determined to tackle her future task well. “I wanted to help my parents, I felt that very strongly. Instead of a burden, I started to see it as an honor.” And at such a young age!
Eventful years
Until she was eighteen, Amalia led a fairly ‘normal’ life. Of course she had to come and wave and laugh cheerfully on King’s Day and there were the annual photo opportunities, but in the meantime the eldest A’tje also went to school by bike with a trendy Eastpak backpack.
With her eighteenth birthday, there are quite a few changes on her highness’ agenda. She is introduced to the Council of State, she gives her first speech, and we get to know her a little better through various small question times and the aforementioned book, Amalia.
But just when freedom and independence beckon, things go wrong. A carefree student period (with an impressive student house in the heart of Amsterdam) turns into an anxious period full of threats. The crown princess moves back home and is placed under strict security due to all kinds of dangers from the criminal circuit. And so suddenly two years have passed in which the young adult crown princess has hardly been able to show herself to the outside world. For an average teenager, such a life under lock and key would be quite a downer, and for the Princess of Orange (who still has a whole life of expectations, obligations and spotlights ahead of her) it must feel like a nightmare.
New portrait photos
In any case, a new year of the princess’s life has now arrived, and the Royal House is celebrating with some new photos of the crown princess. Or well…the snapshots aren’t really new either. These photos are from the photo session of December last year. Then Princess Beatrix, King Willem-Alexander and Princess Amalia were photographed together.
So we already know that the dark suit (nice and modern and businesslike) comes from the Marina Ribaldi label. Our favorite detail about this photo, however, remains the Marianna Lemos necklace, which the three princesses are known to each have a matching copy of. Even though Amalia is safely secured at home, Alexia does all kinds of fun during her gap year, and Ariane wanders around her Italian boarding school, the bond between the sisters remains very strong.
Hopefully the three will soon be able to toast Amalia’s birthday together again in the palace. In any case, for now we will toast from a distance. Here’s to your health, your highness!
Source: Amalia by Claudia de Breij, Glamial archive, UFO No More, RVD | Image: ©RVD – Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk
